Apparatus for softening box toe stiffeners



Dec. 27, 1932.

H. F. ROSE Filed June 18, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 H. F. ROISE 1,892,079

APPARATUS FOR SOFTENING BOX STIFFENERS- 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Dec. 27, 1932.

Filed June 18, 1930 Patented Dec. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE HARRY FRANK nose, or new YORK, 1v. Y nssroivon '20 THE ADAMS MFG. 00., INQ, on NEW YORK, v. Y., A conro'anrxon on NEW YORK APPARATUS. FOR SOFTENZENG BOX TOE STIFF ENE'RS Application filed June 18,

In the manufacture of shoes, box toes are produced by means of suitable stiffening material arranged under the leather or other material of which the vamp is made. One widely used stiffening material is composed of two or more layers of cotton fabric, impregnated with a starch composition adapted to give the desired stiffness when dry but capable of being softened by moistening or dampening so that the impregnated fabric (cut to proper form and size) can be molded or shaped over the toe of the last, after which the subsequent drying restores the original stiffness. Heretofore the softening has been efiected by manually dipping the stifiening pieces in water, and allowing the waterto soak in, this operation being known as mulling. This. method is not always satisfactory. In the first place, successive pieces may not be uniformly softened, some being softened too much, others too little. Another disadvantage is that in dipping the stiffening pieces the workmans fingers are wetted and must be dried to avoid the possi bility of soiling or otherwise damaging the shoe. This drying takes time and is especially objectionable to the workman if he is on piece-work. If he is paid on a time basis the loss falls on the employer.

I have therefore been led to devise my present invention, which has for its chief object to provide an apparatus and process by which the stiffening pieces can be softened with substantial uniformity and'without wetting the workmans fingers, enabling the workman to handle and apply the stiffening pieces without smearing the starch composition, whichmay become very slimy, getting on his fingers and being spread on the leather and fabric of the shoe. A further object is to provide an apparatus and process such that the manual operations involved shall require no special skill on the part of the operator and hence can be performed by an apprentice or other unskilled person. Such person can thus relieve the skilled workman of the mulling operation and thereby save the time that would otherwise be consumed in that operation.

In carrying out the invention in the pre- 1930. Serial No. 461,937.

ferred manner the stifiening pieces or toes are mounted on a metal plate in one or more vertical rows. The plate is now inserted in an open vessel containing water, and is immediately withdrawn, the submergence of the stiffening pieces being thus only n1omentary. The plate, with the stiffening pieces dripping wet, is now inserted downwardly in a closed mulling vessel or chamber, provided at opposite sides with suitable guides to receive the edges of the plate and hold the latter upright. Here the pieces soak up water, the excess draining off and accumulating in the bottom, a saturated atmosphere being thus maintained in the chamber, so that the pieces cannot dry out. As soon as the adhering water has been absorbed, making it possible to handle the pieces without wetting the fingers, they can be removed for use. Leaving them in the chamber longer does no harm. The apparatus also speeds up the workmans labor, since the plate which carries the pieces can be laid before him in a convenient position for quick access, and the coils hold the pieces in position for easy and quick grasp. Also, when the plates are laid on the bench, with the stiffening pieces exposed, the more or less sharp edges of the handles 13 engage the bench frictionally and tend to prevent movement of the plate away from the workman.

Referring now to the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a perspective view, partly in section, illustrating a convenient form of wetting tank or chamber in which the plates or racks carrying the stiffen'ers may be submerged in water.

Fig. 2 shows in perspective partly in section, a convenient form of chamber to which the racks carrying the wet stiffeners can be transferred to drain and mull.

Fig. 3 is anelev-ational view of a rack such as is shown in Figs. 1 and 2.

Fig. 4 is, a detail section on line i4 of Fig. 3. V

Fig. 5 shows in perspective an apparatus in which the wetting and mulling chambers are made by dividing a larger box or receptacle into compartments, with a hinged cover for the mulling compartment.

The rectangular vessel 10 shown in Fig. 1 is provided on its opposite inner surfaces with vertical guides 11 into which the plates or racks 12 may be slid downwardly, the yes sel and the racks being made preferably of sheet metal, as for example galvanized iron. The guides maybe made of angle strip, ar ranged-as .shown and riveted or soldered to the wall. The racks are provided with handles 13 for convenient insertion and removal.

The racks 12 shown are made in the form of plates of suitable stiffness, provided with vertical slots 1a in which are soldered or brazed the coil springs 15. The. latter are of the close type so that the adjacent turns will form spring clips to hold the stiffening pieces when inserted between them, as in Fig. 4:, for example. Preferably the springs are arranged with their turns slanting downwardly, to hold the pieces in correspondingly inclined position.

The mulling vessel or chamber 16 shown in Fig. 2 is similar in all respects to the wetting tank, with guides 17 for the racks 12, but hav ing also a removable cover 18.

In using the apparatus the tank .10 is filled with Water, indicated at 19, up to a suitable point, and one or more racks 12, with the dry stiffening pieces 20 clipped in the springs 15, are inserted in the guides 12, submerging the pieces in the water. The racks are then withdrawn and inserted in the guides 17 in the mulling tank 16 and the cover 18 is replaced. Here the excess water drains off the stiffening pieces and collects in the bottom of the tank, thus maintaining a saturated atmosphere around the wet pieces so that there will be no evaporation, or substantially none, of the adhering water. Hence water which does not drain 0E soaks into the absorbent stiffening material. The time required for adequate softening depends chiefly upon the thicknessof the impregnated fabric and the nature of the material with which it is im- .pregnated, but ordinarily the pieces are ready for use when the liquid has soaked in, leaving the surface damp but not sloppy. However, even though in a saturated atmosphere, they will not, for a considerable time, absorb more moisture than was applied to them by the submergence, and hence they may be left in the mulling tank a good deal longer, to insure adequate softening. Removing one of the racks the workman lays it on the table or bench before him and removes the softened pieces or blanks as he needs them. From time to time the boy, making his rounds, loads a fresh rack, dips it,,m0ves the loaded racks forward in the mulling tank, and inserts the newly dipped rack at the rear so that a previously. dipped rack will be the next one removed by the workman. In this Way the workman always has an adequate. supply of pieces which are fully mulled and which can be handled without getting water on his fingers.

The two vessels or tanks are preferably made separate, to facilitate handling when necessary, but they may be combined in a single structure, as 111 Fig. 5 for example, in

which the tank 21 is divided into two comv stiffened with a composition capable of being softened by absorption of water, C0111- prising a flat rack having means for holding a plurality of stiffening pieces, and a receptacle into which the rack may be inserted downwardly, said receptacle having guide means for removably supporting the rack in vertical position to permit draining of water from the stiffening pieces.

1 2. In an apparatus for softening box-toe stiffening pieces comprising absorbent material stiffened with a composition capable of being softened by absorption of water, a rack for supporting a plurality of stiffening pieces during the softening thereof, comprising a plate and a helical spring carried thereby with its coils at an oblique angle to the plate, between which coils the stiffening pieces may be inserted and held, and a receptacle for water into which the rack maybe inserted downwardly, the receptacle having means for supporting the rack in vertical position with the stiffening pieces submerged.

3. In apparatus for softening box-toe stiffening pieces comprising absorbent material stiffened with a composition. capable of being softened by absorption of water, the combination of a flat rack having means for bold ing a plurality of stiflt'ening pieces at an oblique angle thereto and with adjacent pieces in close overlapping relation to each other. and a receptacle having guide means adapted to cooperate with the rack for slidable insertion of the latter downwardly into the receptacle, said guide means being adapted to support said rack vertically in the receptacle.

4. In apparatus for softening box-toe still"- ening pieces comprising absorbent material stiffened with a composition capable of being softened by absorption of water, a rack adapted to be inserted vertically in waterandmoisture-containing receptacle and comprising a plate, a helical spring carried thereby with its coils at an oblique angle to the plate, sloping away from one end of the latter, said spring being adapted to hold stiffening ieces between its coils at a corresponding ob ique angle to the plate, and a handle at the aforesaid end of the plate for facilitating insertion of the latter in said receptacles, said handle comprising an outwardlyextending member having a sharp end whereby when the rack is disposed 'fiatwise for insertion or removal of stiffening pieces said member will frictionally engage the surface on which the rack rests.

5. Apparatus for softening box-toe stiflt'en ing pieces constructed of absorbent material and impregnated with a stiffening composition capable of being softened by absorption of water comprising a plurality of fiat racks each provided with means for holding a plurality of stiifening pieces, a plurality of receptacles each having guide means for slidably receiving the racks on downward insertion thereof into either of the receptacles, guide means in each of said receptacles for movably supporting the racks in vertical position, one of said receptacles adapted to contain water for wetting the pieces and the other receptacle adapted to receive the racks for draining the excess water from the pieces after removal from the Water containing receptacle and to retain moisture, and a closure member for said other receptacle adapted to prevent evaporation of the moisture therefrom.

In testimony whereof I hereto aflix my signature.

HARRY FRANK ROSE.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION.

Patent' No. 1,892,019.- December/27; .1922.

HARRY FRANK ROSE.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above ,numbered'patent requiring correction as follows: Page 2, line 128, claim 4, for- 'receptacle" read "receptacles"; and that the said Letters Patent should? be read'with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the casein the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 24th day of January, A. D. 1933.

v M. J. Moore, (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents; 

